Beelzebubs

Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs performing at the Hong Kong International A Cappella Festival 2012.
Background information
Also known as	The Bubs
Origin	Medford, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Collegiate a cappella
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Collegiate
Website	Official website

The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", is an all-male a cappella group of students from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." Founded in 1962, they have toured in Europe, Asia, South America, and North America, and they competed on NBC's The Sing-Off in December 2009, finishing in second place.

The group is best known for providing song arrangements and background vocals for the fictional all-male a cappella glee club "The Dalton Academy Warblers" on the American TV series Glee, although the Bubs do not play club members on screen. Singles by the Warblers, with series stars Darren Criss and Chris Colfer performing lead vocals, have collectively sold over 1.3 million copies through March 2011. Due to their popularity, a full soundtrack album of the Warblers songs was released April 19, 2011 as Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers.

The Beelzebubs were the inspiration for the Barden University Treblemakers in the movie franchise Pitch Perfect, being one of the groups covered by Mickey Rapkin in Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory, the book the movies are loosely based on.

The Beelzebubs were originally named "Jumbo's Disciples" after the Tufts University mascot, but quickly shed this name and adopted the name "Beelzebubs", a reference from the epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton. They were first seen at the Tufts annual Winter Sing in December 1962, and by May 1964 they had already performed with the Boston Pops and recorded their first album.

During the 1970s, they began adding popular music to the barbershop, doo-wop, gospel, and jazz standards so commonly associated with a cappella. The group flourished due to a successful and active alumni association.

The 1991 album Foster St. abandoned a more traditional methodology and introduced a new style of arranging – especially with the addition of vocal percussion In 2005 the Bubs' CD Shedding swept the CARA awards for collegiate male a cappella winning best album, best soloist, best arrangement, and best song. Currently, the Bubs have recorded 26 studio and 3 live albums.